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WTEW: More Plant-based foods!

Eat more plant-based foods. Is this a given for you? Would you be surprised if I told you that even health-conscious folks have a hard time eating more fruits and vegetables at times? In our go, go, go, and then go some more society we crave things fast. We need things fast. Including our meals. So, sometimes even the peeps who despise McDonald’s and won’t touch fried foods with a ten foot pole skip out on nature’s treats. Instead, opting for protein bars, cheese sticks, and almonds… with maybe an apple thrown in there.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying these foods are bad. In fact, I won’t ever say a food is bad, because that is plain silly. Bad and good are behavioral and the last time I checked, food can’t cuss or smile at you.

However, I will say that we could all use more plant-based foods in our life. Am I right or am I right? I had an argument about the protein content of certain foods with my older brother, a recent vegetarian, the other day. Without going into much detail, the statement we could both agree on was the fact that everyone could use more plant-based foods. Period. No matter how you eat or what moral food code you follow.

I also saw Forks over Knives this past weekend, a food documentary. I got the same message from it: eat more plant-based foods. Of course, there were cast members talking highly of a vegan diet (no eggs, dairy, or animal products). I do not have any distaste for a vegan way of life. Nor will I say it is the only way to go. I care a whole lot about animals and the more I read about how they are treated or see a video on the subject, I get horrified. It’s a food moral code battle going on in my mind at the moment and at some point, I very well may live a vegan lifestyle. For now though, I can only make the case for the one statement that EVERYONE agrees on… Eat more plant-based foods. You can’t go wrong with that, my friends.

An easy way to keep nature’s treats at the fore-front of your mind is to aim for one vegetable at each meal. That’s at least 3 per day. Spinach or kale is great in a smoothie or an omelette for breakfast. Carrots or celery are easy to pack for lunch (and yes, even dipping them into guacamole or ranch dip is better than not eating them at all). The sky is the limit for dinner- salad, eggplant, squash, green beans, asparagus, and broccoli to name several. Eat ’em up! Fruit is usually easier for people to eat, but if you also have a hard time remembering to eat fruit, choose at least 2 to eat for a snack when the munchies arrive. Apples, oranges, bananas, plums, nectarines, and pears are easy to grab. Go for it!